In late August, Old Mrs. Wei's brother-in-law, Cheng'an Marquis, brought home a battle report: the deputy generals of the Divine Martial Army and the Valiant Tiger Army, Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai, had launched a night raid on the Wuda camp. Unexpectedly, Wuda had been prepared, and the over ten thousand elite troops led by Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai were instead surrounded and slaughtered, suffering heavy casualties. Only a thousand survived, though fortunately, both Lu and Qi sustained only minor injuries.
The imperial court had suffered a loss, and Emperor Yuanjia was disheartened. A shadow of gloom hung over the official circles as well.
The soldiers of the elite Four Armies were all meticulously selected, each one worth ten ordinary imperial guards. The loss of ten thousand in this single battle—ten thousand passionate young men—pained not only Emperor Yuanjia but also Old Mrs. Wei, Guo Shi, and Wei Rao's three siblings, who wore expressions of sorrow upon hearing the news.
Wei Rao's cousin, Young Lord Wei Zizhan, asked in confusion, "Earlier this month, the news suggested Wuda was on the verge of defeat. How could such a reversal occur?"
Guo Shi ventured an analysis, "Could it be that Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai were too eager for merit and acted rashly?"
In recent years, the Soaring Dragon Army led by the Marquis of Xiting and his son had gained momentum, seemingly overshadowing the Divine Martial Army. This was Lu Zhuo's first time leading troops, and he was surely eager to claim credit. As for Qi Zhongkai, he was not known for his steadiness either.
A thought crossed Guo Shi's mind, and she glanced at Wei Rao. With Qi Zhongkai, whom Wei Rao had been scheming to seduce, suffering a defeat, surely Wei Rao must feel disgraced?
"Women know nothing of such matters. Hold your tongue," Old Mrs. Wei sternly rebuked her daughter-in-law.
Cheng'an Marquis also glared at Guo Shi. "If you don't understand, don't speculate recklessly. Spreading such talk could offend both families."
Even if the Lu and Qi families had suffered a defeat, the Duke of Yingguo's Manor and the Marquis of Pingxi's Manor were not households the Wei family could afford to provoke.
Guo Shi lowered her head in resentment.
Wei Chan clenched her handkerchief. During the Dragon Boat Race at the Dragon Boat Festival, she had witnessed the elegance of Lu Zhuo, the heir of the Duke of Yingguo, for the first time. In that moment, not only she but almost every young lady present had been captivated by him, and none failed to envy Sixth Miss Xie. Wei Chan knew well that she and Lu Zhuo were utterly incompatible. Yet, even if she could not have him, she wished for Lu Zhuo to succeed in all endeavors and not tarnish his illustrious reputation.
Wei Rao was not on the battlefield and refrained from speculating about the war. However, the Divine Martial Army and the Valiant Tiger Army represented the imperial court's strongest forces against Wuda. Their defeat weighed heavily on her heart, a young lady of an official family living peacefully in the capital. Before falling asleep, Wei Rao could not help but pray to the Bodhisattva, asking for the war to end soon so that everyone could return to their former lives of speaking, laughing, and playing freely.
By the Double Ninth Festival, news of a victory finally arrived from the border. The two young deputy generals, Lu Zhuo and Qi Zhongkai, had joined forces to kill tens of thousands of Wuda's iron cavalry, avenging their previous humiliation. Not long after, a major event occurred in the capital: a commander of the Valiant Tiger Army was executed along with his entire clan, totaling over a hundred people, all beheaded at the Meridian Gate on charges of treason and colluding with the enemy.
It was said that during the execution, the ground before the Meridian Gate ran red with blood. Palace attendants washed it countless times, yet brownish-red stains remained in the crevices of the stone slabs.
Soon, the truth spread among the common people: the failed night raid during the Mid-Autumn Festival had been due to that commander tipping off Wuda.
Upon learning this, even the soft-hearted commoners, initially horrified by the bloodshed of the execution day, felt that the entire clan deserved their fate. Ten thousand elite troops, painstakingly trained by the imperial court—how many families had taken pride in their valiant sons? The lives of over a hundred relatives of the traitor were not enough to atone for the lost warhorses, let alone the tragically slain soldiers.They should be severely punished! Let's see who would dare to become a traitor next time, who would dare to betray their comrades on the battlefield!
Not long after the first snowfall in the capital, the war that had lasted for over five months was finally coming to an end. Khan Hulun took the initiative to sue for peace, offering to present fine warhorses, gold, and beauties to the imperial court every year, and send a legitimate grassland prince to the capital as a hostage.
Emperor Yuanjia, considering the unpredictable winter climate on the grasslands where blizzards could threaten the hundreds of thousands of imperial guards at any time, accepted Khan Hulun's surrender.
When the news spread, the common people rejoiced, even more delighted than during the New Year celebrations.
Wei Rao's Guangxing Tower introduced a Mongolian lamb hotpot, paired with the chef's secret family recipe sauce—spicy and refreshing. In the increasingly cold winter days, this pushed the restaurant's business to another peak.
Wei Rao specifically wrote a letter to her cousin Huo Jue, who had already returned to Taiyuan, sharing the joy of their thriving business and looking forward to her cousin and cousin visiting the capital next year to witness the restaurant's bustling crowds firsthand.
Huo Jue's reply reached Wei Rao's hands one day before the triumphant army's return.
Besides catching up and offering congratulations, Huo Jue also shared some happy news in his letter—Huo Lin was getting engaged. The groom-to-be was the son of the Taiyuan City Defense Commander's family, who had achieved minor merits in this year's war. If he could be promoted to the capital in the future, Huo Lin and Wei Rao, along with their maternal grandmother's family, could visit each other frequently.
Wei Rao was happy for her cousin Huo Lin. The Defense Commander was a fourth-rank local military official—quite a high position—but her cousin had wealth, beauty, and virtue. Honestly speaking, the Defense Commander's son wasn't at a disadvantage in this match.
Wei Rao first wrote to Huo Lin, asking her cousin whether she had met her fiancé and other maidenly secrets, then had the steward send it out promptly. Afterwards, Wei Rao went to share the good news with Old Mrs. Wei.
Old Mrs. Wei felt quite envious. Huo Lin had already secured a good marriage, while her own granddaughter was about to turn sixteen with no marriage prospects in sight!
"Tomorrow the army returns triumphant, would you like to go take a look?" Old Mrs. Wei encouraged, "Many young officers have distinguished themselves in this campaign. We're not particular about family background, nor are we aiming for the very top few—just find someone with good character, decent appearance, and actual capability."
Old Mrs. Wei had given up hope for noble families from established lineages, but newly risen families with shallow roots were still worth considering.
Wei Rao wasn't interested: "I'm not going. If someone sees me, they'll say I specifically went to see Second Master Qi."
Old Mrs. Wei had nearly forgotten about that. Her granddaughter made a good point, so she stopped urging her.
The next day when the army returned to the capital, Wei Rao stayed home keeping Old Mrs. Wei company, while Guo Shi took Wei Chan out.
Outside the capital, Wei Rao's aunt Wang Shi brought Zhou Huizhen and Zhou Huizhu sisters by carriage to the official road where the army would pass. Liu Momo accompanied them as usual, her task being to ensure Wang Shi and Zhou Huizhen didn't leave the carriage. They could watch the excitement through the window curtains, but showing their faces in public was absolutely forbidden.
The carriage had windows on two sides, but unfortunately only one faced the official road. Zhou Huizhen, wearing a veil, had long occupied the best position, her beautiful eyes eagerly watching the army just appearing at the end of the road. The winter sunlight was pale, but where the army appeared seemed to radiate brilliant light, especially the first few rows—all outstanding figures from the army.
Zhou Huizhen only hated how strict her grandmother was. If she could run to the roadside, with her looks, she was sure to catch the attention of one of them.In a military family, reputation and rules were likely not as strictly emphasized as in civil official households. Since Han Liao, the heir of the Marquis of Xiting, had taken a liking to her, Zhou Huizhen was willing to marry others of slightly lower status, as long as they had promising futures and handsome appearances.
Finally, the army drew near. At the forefront were two veteran generals, at least in their forties. Zhou Huizhen glanced at them briefly before shifting her gaze to the figures behind the old generals. At the sight, she took a deep breath and pressed a hand to her chest.
Flanking the generals were two young commanders in silver armor. The one on the left, closer to her, turned out to be the ethereal young master she had encountered by chance at Cloud Mist Mountain.
"Wow, this general is so handsome," Zhou Huizhu exclaimed, squeezing her head out from the other side of the window, staring in awe. She, too, enjoyed admiring the ethereal young master, though not as obsessively as her elder sister. Soon, however, Zhou Huizhu noticed something odd. "His complexion looks terrible—ghastly pale."
"Maybe it’s because the officer next to him is too dark, making him appear that way," Wang Shi speculated with interest, peering through the gap between her daughters’ heads.
Liu Momo craned her neck, but the window was completely blocked by the mother and her two daughters. All she could see were three heads of thick, dark hair.
On the official road, Qi Zhongkai glanced at Lu Zhuo once more. Being close by, he clearly saw a bead of sweat roll down Lu Zhuo’s pale, handsome cheek.
Qi Zhongkai tightened his grip on the reins.
On the night of the failed night raid, Qi Zhongkai had been struck by two ordinary arrows—one in the shoulder and one in the thigh. Such arrow wounds were considered minor injuries on the battlefield, requiring only some ointment, bandaging, and a few days of rest to heal.
Lu Zhuo had fared worse. Though his sharp hearing had allowed him to evade a wolf-tooth arrow, he was struck in the back near the heart by a regular arrow. Had it not been for a stroke of luck that shifted the arrow’s trajectory slightly, Lu Zhuo might have lost his life that night.
When the army surgeon extracted the arrow from Lu Zhuo, Qi Zhongkai couldn’t bear to watch. He kept his eyes fixed on Lu Zhuo’s face. The man was tough—aside from a furrowed brow, he hadn’t uttered a single sound.
Lu Zhuo’s injury was severe and required quiet recuperation. However, the failure of their night raid had emboldened the Wuda cavalry, tightening the pressure on the battlefield and leaving Lu Zhuo no opportunity for proper rest. Moreover, Lu Zhuo was not one to remain idle. After being ordered by the Duke of Yingguo to rest for ten days, he could no longer endure the inactivity and returned to the battlefield.
Lu Zhuo’s wound reopened soon after it had begun to heal. Each time it reopened, he would rest until he could move, only to rush back to the front lines and fight relentlessly. After several such cycles, the battle was won, but Lu Zhuo’s complexion grew increasingly pale.
On the journey back to the capital, Lu Zhuo had been traveling by carriage. Now, as they approached the city, the esteemed heir of the Duke of Yingguo and deputy general of the Divine Martial Army disregarded all advice and mounted his horse, refusing to show weakness in front of the common people.
"Don’t push yourself if you can’t handle it. Falling off your horse in front of everyone would be even more embarrassing," Qi Zhongkai muttered through gritted teeth. Though Lu Zhuo sat upright, Qi Zhongkai knew that a slight push would be enough to send him tumbling from his saddle.
Lu Zhuo gave a faint, wry smile in response.
He was well aware of his own condition. If he could endure until he reached home and rest properly for a few days, he would recover.
Six months ago, he had ridden out on his horse to battle. Now, returning in triumph, he would ride into the city on horseback, unwilling to tarnish the prestige of the Divine Martial Army or the Lu Family.
Ahead of him, the Duke of Yingguo glanced back slightly but, knowing his grandson’s temperament, refrained from offering any advice.
The rhythmic sound of hoofbeats filled the air as the well-trained army marched through the city gates.
Crowds of common people lined the streets to welcome them. Qi Zhongkai maintained a stern expression, frequently stealing glances at Lu Zhuo. Lu Zhuo, meanwhile, wore a gentle smile. Aside from his pallor, he appeared no different from usual.Qi Zhongkai deliberately tried to distract him: "I wonder if Sixth Miss Xie is hiding in some teahouse or tavern, secretly watching you."
Talking would keep his friend from dwelling on the pain of his wound.
Lu Zhuo smiled faintly.
Qi Zhongkai answered his own question: "She probably wouldn't come. The Xie family's young lady doesn't have that kind of nerve. But there's no need to rush—in just half a month, you'll be married, and she'll have plenty of chances to look at you on the wedding night."
After saying this, Qi Zhongkai chuckled.
His father, the Marquis of Pingxi, turned and glared at him. Teasing Lu Zhuo was one thing, but how could his son casually discuss Sixth Miss Xie like that?
Startled by his father's glare, Qi Zhongkai finally stopped his chatter.
When they reached the imperial city and were about to enter the palace for an audience with the emperor, Qi Zhongkai dismounted first and offered Lu Zhuo a hand.
Surprisingly, Lu Zhuo didn't brush off his assistance.
"Can you manage? If not, you should head back early—there are no commoners watching here," Qi Zhongkai whispered.
Lu Zhuo replied with a smile, "It's fine."
True to his word, Lu Zhuo endured the entire imperial audience. It wasn't until they returned to the Duke of Yingguo's Manor and he followed the Duke through the main gate that Lu Zhuo's vision suddenly went black, and he lost consciousness.
Author's Note:
Second Master Qi: "You still okay?"
Lu Zhuo: "Mhm."
Second Master Qi: "Still okay?"
Lu Zhuo: "Mhm."
Second Master Qi: "Okay?"
Lu Zhuo: "..."
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